History of Santo Nino de Sta. Cruz

(Based on the accounts of former Barangay Captain Joel Calizo and Mrs. Alejandra Delgado, Ermana Mayor of the Sto. Niño de Sta. Cruz)

Ibajay, Aklan- Ibajay is one of the places originally known for celebrating the Ati-Ati Devotional Fiesta in honor of Señor Santo Niño, which began because of a miraculous tree discovered by a married couple along the Boboc-on River in Barangay Naile. From this event started the devotion of all Ibajaynons to the town of Ibajay.

Ulang Fruto, a resident of Sta. Cruz, was among the earliest and most devoted followers of Señor Santo Niño at the time when praise, worship, and devotion to the Santo Niño first flourished in Ibajay. Because of his deep devotion, Ulang Fruto Masangkay became one of the faithful who regularly attended the nine-day novena of the Sto. Niño in the town of Ibajay.

Through his sincere devotion, Ulang Fruto and his family decided to hold a similar celebration of the Feast of the Sto. Niño in their own barangay. He envisioned and worked hard to establish a devotional feast of the Sto. Niño in Barangay Sta. Cruz, because he was already advanced in age and could no longer travel to the town of Ibajay. At that time, transportation was scarce and the journey was far.

Thus began the Sto. Niño or Ati-Ati of Sta. Cruz in 1956, led by Ulang Fruto together with his family. During the first-ever celebration of the Feast of the Sto. Niño of Sta. Cruz, the image of the Santo Niño was offered its first Holy Mass by Father Jose M. Isauriga of Malinao, Aklan, at the local church. He was also the first priest to officiate a Holy Mass in honor of the Sto. Niño of Sta. Cruz.

This occasion also marked the first collective act of worship and praise by the residents of Barangay Sta. Cruz, who no longer needed to travel to the town of Ibajay to celebrate the feast due to the distance.

As the years passed, the people continued to celebrate and uphold their devotion to the Sto. Niño. However, because of old age, Ulang Fruto Calizo Masangkay passed away in 1974, which became one of the reasons the celebration of the Ati-Ati in the barangay was temporarily discontinued.

Due to her advanced age and lack of physical strength, his wife Maura Abello Masangkay may longer lead the celebration of the Sto. Niño in the barangay. She then decided to entrust the original image of the Sto. Niño to their son, Architect Isaac Solidum Masangkay, who had married and settled in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.

Architect Isaac accepted the responsibility given by his mother to care for the Sto. Niño. Since he resided in the Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, the image was brought there, and the family continued their devotion in that place. This situation saddened the residents of Barangay Sta. Cruz, as there was a possibility that the devotion and celebration of the Ati-Ati in the barangay might completely cease.

In 1996–1997, for two consecutive years, the people of the Sta. Cruz celebrated the feast using an image of the Sto. Niño owned by Aquilino Hindap from Barangay Agbago. This temporary arrangement ensured that the celebration of the Ati-Ati would not stop, even though the original image of the Sto. Niño remained in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.

Through the people’s unwavering devotion to the Sto. Niño, Mrs. Alejandra Delgado, a church caretaker of Sta. Cruz, together with Joel Calizo, former Barangay Captain of Sta. Cruz, decided to find donors who would provide a permanent image of the Sto. Niño for the barangay’s feast celebration.

In their search, they spoke with the twin children of Diosdado Abello, Maria Isabel and Maria Angeles. After their discussion, the twins decided to donate an image of the Sto. Niño to Barangay Sta. Cruz through Joel Calizo and Alejandra Delgado. They also humbly requested prayers, as they deeply wished to be blessed with a child. Joel Calizo responded that even before they had spoken, Señor Santo Niño already knew the blessing He would grant them.

As part of their promise and desire to fulfill the donation, the couple arranged for the Sto. Niño to be made and offered to the barangay. The image was commissioned through Joseph Pabilinas, husband of Maria Angeles Abello, in Cebu.

After some time, in 1998, Joel Calizo and Alejandra Delgado received a letter from the couple expressing their gratitude, sharing the joyful news that their prayers had been answered. At that time, Maria Angeles was already pregnant with their first child.

Upon hearing this good news, Joel Calizo joyfully exclaimed:

“VIVA KAY SEÑOR STO. NIÑO!”

This further affirmed the belief that the Sto. Niño is truly miraculous, granting blessings through faith and devotion. He remains the miraculous Sto. Niño whom the people continue to honor and venerate every Feast Day celebrated in the month of January.

According to the official record (AKTA) of the original Sto. Niño dance, the Ati-Ati of Barangay Sta. Cruz is celebrated every second Sunday of January, preceded by a nine-day novena. After the novena, the traditional Procession (Pagsulang) is held, where the Sto. Niño is joyfully carried and honored by the people, starting from the house of the Ermana Mayor, Mrs. Alejandra Delgado, and proceeded to the church at exactly 12:00 noon.

The Sto. Niño is danced in honor, accompanied by the beating of drums, and praised by devotees carrying food offerings and gifts, all united in heartfelt shouts of praise and thanksgiving:

“VIVA KAY SEÑOR STO. NIÑO!”